The dressing in this salad is what makes it a bit unique.  By roasting the ginger root, you get a delicious healthy base for this asian inspired salad that lightly coats the greens and cabbage for a healthy and satisfying side dish or main. I used the food processor to chop the kale and combined it with cabbage and other veggies to give the salad great texture. If you are not a fan of chopped kale, you can slice it thinly and massage it in your hands which helps it become easier to chew and enjoy.  There is also lots of cucumber in the salad which adds additional crunch.   For the chicken, I simply shredded a breast of rotisserie chicken that I bought from the market.  The salad makes for a nice presentation and is full of great color and nutrition.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

for dressing:

  • 10 oz ginger root
  • 1 tablespoon light miso
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

for salad:

  • 8 oz chopped kale, stems removed
  • 1 bag favorite pre-chopped cabbage/kale mix (about 8 oz)
  • 1 cup julienned carrots
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 4 Persian cucumbers sliced lengthwise, each 1/2 cut into quarters
  • 1 small red pepper, small dice
  • 4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 lb shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 tablespoons white sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

Directions:

for dressing:

Preheat oven to 450.  Place ginger on a foil lined or parchment lined baking sheet.  Roast whole unpeeled ginger root for about 1 hour, turning once.  Exterior may get charred and that is fine.  When cool enough to handle, peel off skin and roughy chop. Place ginger and other ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy..  If dressing is too thick, you can add a bit of water to thin out as necessary.  Add salt and pepper as needed but soy and miso have a lot of salt, so do this at the end.

for salad:

For Kale, remove stems and place leaves in food processor.  Pulse about 5 times to chop leaves.  Alternatively, slice thinly and gently rub kale between your hands which help to break u the cellulose in leaves.  Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.  Just before serving add dressing a little bit at a tie to coat salad to taste.  Serve immediately and enjoy!